Safety cranking device for explosive-engines.



J. 0. STANLEY. SAFETY GRANKING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE BNGIN APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 28, 1912.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

'LVVENTOR, Jain 0.,6'ZanZ A 7701mm.

J. 0.-STANLEY. SAFETY GRANKING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE ENGINES.

APPLIOATION FILED SEP'JLZB, 1912.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

2, SHEETS-SHEET 2.

IVJTNESSES:

INVENTOR,

A T' O NEYI JOHN D. STANLEY, OF HOLYOKE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY CRANKING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSIVE-ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 9, 1913.

i Application filed September 28, 1912. Serial No. 722,869.

To all whom it may concern:

Be 1t known that L'JOHN O. STANLEY, a

citizen of the United States of America, and

resident of Holyoke, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety Cranking Devices for Ex plosive-Engines, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

' This invention relates to safety cranking up orstarting devices for explosive gas engines,:that is to devices operative in the manner of anordinary'simple crank for forwardly turning the engine starting shaft, but which are susceptible, under a back fire when the engine shaft and starting shaft are violently reversely moved, of having'the crank or manually operating member thrown out of clutch with and free from the starting shaft whereby no injury may come to the person attempting to crank up; the engine.

The objects of struct safety cranking devices of a compara tively few parts, all of whichare of simple construction and practicable of manufacture V at low cost, and, furthermore, to provide a device which is durable, reliable and eflicient in operation and not subject to derangementafter' protracted use. i

The invention is described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and is set forth in the claims. 7 j

In the drawings :-Figure 1 is substantially a side elevation of the safety cranking device combined with the starting shaft, which latter is in usual juxtaposition to the engine shaft withwhich it is adapted to be clutched and unclutched. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view, on a larger scale, through the improved safety cranking mechanism. Fig. 8 is a cross sectional View on line 33, it being especially noted that this view is seen as looking from the rearward, as indicatedqby the arrow shown in connection with the section line; Fig. 4 is a cross sectional view, as taken on the line H, looking to the rearward. Fig. 5 is a cross sectional elevation as taken beyond the plane indicated on the line 5-5, looking forwardly. Fig. 6 is a vpartial cross sectional elevation showing relative size and relation of parts to be hereinafter especially referred to. .Fig. 7 is a perspective View showing the component elements of the device in separated relations.

the invention are to con-[ Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the views.

In the drawings, A indicates a portion of the engine shaft having a clutch member a thereon; and B represents the starting or cranking shaft provided with a clutch member?) for coaction with the one a when the starting shaft on which the crank C is mounted is forced rearwardly through the stationary support and guide 0 against the spring f as usual.

The starting shaft B has a cylindrical flange-like portion D at its outer end,the same toall ntents and purposes being as an integrah part of the shaft although for practicability of construction it is produced as a collar or sleeve which is fitted 011 the end. and keyed to the shaft. This cylindrical flange-forming portion D is provided with a series of regularly spaced grooves g longltudinally extendlng from the inner end of such part for a suitable distance asshown. V

E represents a sleeve loose on the shaft slightly separated from said groove-pro vided shaft portion D, and having a series of peripheral grooves h corresponding in number and spacing to, and adapted to aline with,-the grooves g of the said shaft flange portion G represents an apertured disk or flat ring,

herein termed a tumbler arranged facewise against the end of the sleeve E, betweenthe latter and the shaft flange D, this element loosely encircling the shaft.

The tumbler ring isof very sli htly larger diameter than the diameters of the sleeve E and shaft flange, which two parts are of equal diameter; and the tumbler ring has, edgewise provided, a series of grooves or notches i in number and spacing corresponding to those of'the sleeve E and shaft flange D,the bottoms of all of the notches g, IL, and 2' being coincident with an imaginary circumference.

, ,The tubular hub j of the crank C has an encircling relation about portions of the lengths of the shaft flange D and sleeve E,

and the interposed tumbler disk G in which the grooves or notches are provided; and the crank hub hasa plurality of pawls 7; in tangential sockets therein inwardly pressed by the springs m, which latter are in abut ment against the screw plugs 11; and through the means of these pawls, when the crank is rotated forwardly or clockwise for starting the engine, the starting shaft will be rotated in the forward direction, the pawl engagement between the crank and starting shaft flange rendering, for forwarddriving the crank in effect the same as if it were rigidly fastened to the shaft; and the forward driving of the crank forwardly rotates the sleeve E and disk G.

It is to be perceived that the tumbler disk has a pair of opposite are shaped slots 0 through which short pins or studsp 'projecting from the end of the sleeve E engage "and the spring r sunk within a pocket Q therefor in the end of the sleeve and having,

, by its one end, an engagement with the sleeve and by its other end an engagement with the tumbler disk, its torsional reaction being such, when permittedso to do, to

throw the tumbler disk around on the end face of the sleeve E so that its notches i will be out of registry with the grootes h in the sleeve, the pin andslot provisions before referred to so limiting the rotative movement 13 next to the rear of the sleeve E, and it carries at its outer end portion axle-united spur gear wheels M and N, the one'M'being of greater diameter than the one N, the axle t unitingthese two gear wheels being rotatable in and through the arm J by which it is revolubly carried. Next to and rearward beyond the arm J is another sleeveQ having spur gear teeth u' formed as part thereof,

which are in mesh with the gear wheel'N; and the end face of this sleeve Q has ratchet teeth 1) as shown in Figs. 2 and 5 with which engage the pawls'o provided in the fixture R, the dowel R of which engaging through a stationary part S preventing rotation of the fixture R, although the sameis bodily movable forwardly and rearwardly as one with the device when thrown out of or into clutch with the engine shaft.

T represents a shell or casing which in: closes the sleeve Q, arm J and the gearing.

In the engine starting or cranking up action, the rotation of the crank, through the pawls in engagement in the grooves in the flange like portion D of the starting shaft, causes the rotation of 'such'shaft in exactly the same manner as if the crank were per manently aflixed to the shaft and at such time the peripherally notched and gear toothed sleeve, E, and the tumbler disk G, are also revolved, causing the revolution in a circular path of the axle united pinions and a rotative movement of the sleeve which has the ratchet teeth in its end face and counter clockwise,therevoluble arm T will carry the axle united spur gears in the reversed direction, and no rotation can be now imparte'dto the gear-'tooth'ed sleeve Q, be cause the latter is restrainedfi'om reversely moving by the'pawls o u The gear N in circularly revolving around "and in mesh with the gear teeth of thepawl restrained sleeve willderive a comparatively rapid rotation, and" with it arotation of the axle or uniting shaft t, andthe other somewhat larger spurgear wheel M connected thereto; andthis latter; gear wheel which is of less diameter than the toothed sleeve:E will cause a rotation of the last named sleeve in the opposite direction 'fromthat of'thereversed rotationofthe starting shaft so that the'alined grooves or notches inthe sleeve E andin the shaft flange 1) will be thrown out of alinement, with the effect,

by reason of the V-sha p e, fer cam action, of the walls of the grooves, of outwardly forcing 'thepa'wls k carried'in'the crank hub and placing them disengaged from the said parts D and E as 'well also as fronithe 'notches' in the tizinbl'er disk G. And so soon as the tumbler disk becomes disengaged by the pawls, it is free to have its "slight degree of 'rotative .n ove'ment relatively to the grooved sleeve E under the torsional action 7 of the spring 7*, whereby theno'tches in its edge will. all, be carried out of registry or alineine'nt with the notches in thefsleeve; and thus even although in the continued re- 7 ,versed running of the starting shaft and 'the' mechanism actuated thereby, the grooves g and it may periodically aline with each other, the pa'wls, nevertheless, jwill be restrained from reenterlng such grooves and i'e'e'stablishing, fol-uncomfortable or Clangerous results, the connection between-the backwardly running starting shaft and the crank. After a backfire and the stopping of the engine, the normal conditions and relations of the parts, as show nin Fig. 2, for cranking up, will be reestablished merely by turning the crank in theforward direction. i

The fact that the circular tumbler disk having the peripheral notches therein is diametrically slightly greater than the diain eter of the. eriphe1'ally grooved sleeve,. insuresin the forward rotation of'the hub of' the crank, the entrance of the ends of the pawls into the mouths of the notches "in the tumbler dislg' efiecting engagements be-; 7 tween the 'pawls and suchdisk' sufficient to cause the rotative"m'oveinent of'the latterl l less extent of rotative movement of the crank hub, the pawls of which are partially sunk within the notches in the edge of the tumbler disk, willrotatively force the latter and the sleeve which is pin and slot engaged therewith both around together so that very shortly the grooves of the tumbler disk and sleeve will be brought into longitudinal alinement with the groovesin the flange on the end of the shaft, whereupon the pa-wls will be spring pressed not only into the bottoms of the tumbler disk grooves but also to bottoming engagements in the grooves of the sleeve and said shaft flange, thus again connecting the crank with the starting shaft.

I claim 1. In a safety starting device for explosive engines, in combination the starting shaft having as a part thereof a cylindrical portion which is provided with a plurality of peripheral grooves, a gear-tooth-provided sleevesurrounding the shaft adjacent said cylindrical peripherally grooved portion of the latter and having a series of peripheral grooves in arrangement corresponding to and adapted to aline with those of such cylindrical portion, another sleeve loosely encircling the shaft having gear teeth and having ratchet teeth, and a fixture provided with a pawl for engagement in the latter teeth, an arm unitary and revoluble with the shaft and carrying axleunited gear wheels which are in mesh with the gear teeth of both said sleeves, and a starting crank having a pawl adapted for engagement in the alined grooves of the first named sleeve and of the said cylindrical shaft portion.

V In a safety starting device for explosive engines, in combination the starting shaft having a cylindricalportion which is provided with a plurality of peripheral grooves, a geartooth-provided sleeve surrounding the shaft adjacent said cylindria cal peripherally grooved portion of the latter and having a series of peripheral grooves in arrangement corresponding to and adapted to aline with those of-such cylindrical portion, a circular centrally apertured disk of slightly greater diameter than the said sleeve and cylindrical shaft portion, and having peripheral grooves in arrangement corresponding to those in such parts, having its location between such parts, having a lost motion engagement with the end of the sleeve and having a spring for rotatively moving it relatively to the aforenamed sleeve, another sleeve loosely encircling the shaft having gear teeth and having ratchet teeth, and a fixture provided with a pawl for engagement in the latter teeth, an arm unitary and revoluble with the shaft and carrying axle-united gear WllGBlS which are in mesh with the gear teeth of both said sleeves, and a starting crank having a pawl adapted for engage ment in the alined grooves of the first named sleeve and of the said cylindrical shaft portion.

3. In a safety starting device for explosive engines, the combination with the starting shaft having a cylindrical flange-like portion having a series of grooves therein, and a sleeve loose on the shaft adjacent said groove provided shaft flange and having a corresponding series of peripheral grooves adapted to aline with those of said flange,

the crank having a hub surrounding said grooved shaft flange and sleeve,andhavinga pawl adapted to engage in alined grooves of said parts, and means operable by a reversed rotation of the starting shaft to cause a rotative movement of the sleeve relatively to the grooved shaft flange to force the pawl out of engagement with both of said grooved parts.

4. In a safety starting device for explosive engines, the combination with the starting shaft having a cylindrical flange-like portion having a series of grooves therein,

and a sleeve loose on the shaft adjacent said groove provided shaft flange, and having a corresponding series of peripheral grooves adapted to aline with those of said flange, the crank having a hub surrounding said grooved shaft flange and sleeve, and having a pawl adapted to engage in alined grooves of said parts, a disk surrounding the shaft, between the end of the sleeve and the flange, of greater diameter than said parts, edgewise grooved corresponding to the aforesaid sets of grooves, having a lost motion engagement with the sleeve, and having a spring operative thereon to rotatively move it relatively to the sleeve, and means operable by a reversed rotation of the starting shaft to cause a rotative movement of the sleeve relatively to the grooved shaft flange to force the pawl out of engagement with both of said grooved parts.

5. In a starting'device for explosive engines, in combination, the starting shaft having a flange thereon provided with a series of peripheral grooves, a sleeve loose about the shaft having a like series of peripheral grooves, the crank having a hollow hub loosely encircling the shaft flange and sleeve and having a pawl for engagement in alined grooves of the shaft flange and sleeve, and differential gearing actuated by the shaft on. its reversed rotation to move the groove sleeve rotatively relatively to the shaft flange.

6. In a starting device for explosive engines, in combination, the starting shaft, having a flange thereon provided with a series of peripheral grooves, a sleeve loose 5 abo'utthe shaft having a like series of peripheral grooves, a tumbler-disk loose about the shaft, having a pin and slot-engagement with the sleeve, of slightly greater diameter than the sleeve and shaft flange, and having 1-0 peripheral notches corresponding to those of the'flange and sleeve, the crank having a hollow hub loose about the shaft and having a pawl for engagement in alined grooves of both the shaft flange and sleeve, and differential gearing actuated by the shaft on its reversed rotation to rotatively move the grooved sleeve relatively to the shaft flange.

7. In anexplosive engine starting device,

in combination, the starting shaft, having -a flange like part provided with a series of peripheral grooves, a sleeve loosely encircling the shaft and having a like series of peripheral grooves, and also having gear teeth, a crank having a hollow hub loosely 2 5pencircling the shaft flange and sleeve and having. pawls for engagement in alined grooves of said shaft flange and'sleeve, another sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft and" having means for-restraining it against 3o reversed rotation, and said second sleeve being provided withgear teeth, and an arm revolubly carried by the shaft and having axle united gear wheels in mesh with the gearteeth on the two sleeves.

in combination, the starting shaft, having a fiange like part provided with a series of peripheral grooves, a sleeve loosely encircling the shaft and having a like series of 40 encircling the shaft flange andsleeve and having. p'awls for engagement in alined grooves of said shaft flange and sleeve, anl other sleeve loosely surrounding the shaft and-having means for restraining it against reversed rotation, and: said second sleeve be- 8. In an explosive engine starting device,

:peripheral grooves, and also having gear teeth, a crank having a hollow hub loosely ing provided with gearteeth, an arm revolubly carried by the shaft and having axle united gear Wheels in mesh With the gear teeth and having ratchet teeth, and a fixture closing the second sleeve,,the arm, the axle united gears, and thegear toothed portion of the first named sleeve.

9. In a device of the character described,

in combinatiom'the starting shaft, having a circul-ar flangecl end portion provided with peripheral longitudinal grooves leading to one end of-the flange, a sleeve of the same diameter as the flange, slightly separated therefrom and havinga like series of peripheral grooves at its end toward-theflange and :provided' at its opposite end with spur gear teeth, a centrally aperturedtumbler disk encircling-the shaft-between the sleeve and shaft flangeofsl-ightly greater diameter than that of said sleeve and shaftflange having a pin and slot engaging with the sleeve and having a spring reactive between the sleeve and disk for rotatively movingthe disk relatively to-the sleeve, and provided with a's-eries of peripheral notches corresponding in spacingto those of the sleeve andflairge, an arm revolubly carried by the shaft the rear of thesleeve, a second sleeve loosely encirclingtheshaft to the rear of the arm having spurgear teeth-thereon and havingyratehet teeth in its rear end, a fixture provided with a series of spring pressedpaw-ls engaging said ratc-het teeth, a pair of axl'eunited gear wheels-in mesh with the gear teeth of both said sleeves, and

the-crank having a tubular hub loosely encircling portions of the shaft flange the first named sleeve and the interposed disk,

Copies of this patent may'be obtained for five cents each, by addressing tlie Commissioner ofPatent's; Washington, D. C. 

